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Use of green ghost money on the rise in Taipei County

Taipei County residents burned a total of 950 tonnes of ghost money at environmentally friendly centralized facilities in the seventh lunar month of this year, according to county officials.

The amount was 50 tonnes higher than the same month -- known as ghost month in Chinese tradition -- last year and nine times higher than three years ago, according to officials at the county's Environmental Protection Bureau.

This is the third consecutive year that Taipei County has burned more ghost money through this method than other counties and cities, the officials said.

They estimated that burning ghost money through centralized facilities instead of doing so outdoors prevented the release into the air of 109 tonnes of pollutants, which is roughly the same volume as five articulated trucks.

However, the officials stressed that the centralized burning service was not aimed at encouraging the public to burn ghost money, but to raise environmental awareness.

They said it would be best if the public could avoid burning ghost money altogether because the substances released upon burning can be harmful to health.

A survey conducted by the Consumer's Foundation last year shows that ghost money and incense release hazardous substances such as benzene, methyl benzene and ethyl benzene when burnt.

Environmental protection authorities in various places have offered the centralized burning service for the last three years.
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